Winning BALLET Feature Film of 2022.
UNTIL DOWN, 73min., Spain, Ballet/Experimental
Directed by Horacio Alcala
Behind the scenes we are witnesses to Giselle’s misery: she sees her interior self broken and falling into a lonely and eternal dance that leads her to madness and death. She then descends to the underworld, leaving her soul forever dark in the eternal night.
Watch the Audience Feedback Video:
Project Links
News & Reviews
- “AMANECER CREATIVOI”LA RAZÓNhttps://www.larazon.es/cultura/20211103/osfptg7o7beubmyqcnfyjhxco4.html
- “LA CND POR DENTRO”SUSYQhttps://susyq.es/actualidad/1388-hasta-el-alba-cnd
Director Statement
Hasta el Alba is a documentary about the creative process. Accessing the backstage of the National Dance Company of Spain, the director of the film, Horacio Alcalà, tries to show the everyday life of the company from behind the scenes. Hasta El Alba is an informative and educational tool with a touch of poetry that makes this elitist art more accessible. Narrated by Lucia Alvarez, the documentary illustrates the development of the ballet “Giselle” and the contemporary dance scene in Spain.
Following the creative process of Joaquim de Luz for the Ballet of “Giselle,” Horacio Alcalà explores the backstage of the National Dance Company of Spain in order to meet the members of the company and to know their stories.
Portrayed on the camera, the members of the dance company reveal how they prepare physically while adding a more psychological dimension through intimate interviews and artistic research with the goal of satisfying the demands of complex characters showing the human heart. Performing outside of their theater, the company adds another piece of art to the National Library of Madrid by performing “Giselle” in front of an unusual audience: the camera.
Three prestigious artistic directors, Anthonio Ruz, Nacho Duato and Joaquim de Luz, guide us in their creative process, their responsibility of transmission, their style, and artistic choices and end up answering the question “How can art provoke our emotions?”
The art of ballet is the translation of a poem, and through the movement of bodies, choreographies, light, music, costumes, and decoration they create a living, breathing text.
This documentary helps the viewer better understand this very full and complex art. Hasta El Alba is a deep investigation into the world of ballet, its essence, and its subtleties, that uncovers the secrets of the National Dance Company of Spain
Experimental Film & Music Video Festival 